Long-term care insurance first was introduced in the late 1970s, but in recent years, it has become a much more important element of retirement planning thanks to twin rises in health care costs and longevity.

You have to do your tax return, but with the tax laws as complicated as they are, that job's tougher than ever. If you need help but don't want to pay through the nose, here are some resources that can get you tax filing assistance for free.

With one year left until retirement, you're in the final stretch. It's time to prepare for the transition, so give your budget a stress test, reallocate your assets and income sources, and take action on health insurance. Here are six helpful guidelines:

Many baby boomers who haven't saved enough to retire well are contemplating delaying retirement. But if working into your 70s isn't possible (or appealing), moving to a place with a lower cost of living can help stretch your savings and finance a better quality of life.

More than 56 million Social Security recipients will see their monthly payments go up by 1.7% next year, one of the smallest increases since automatic adjustments were adopted in 1975. The cost-of-living adjustment is linked to inflation, which has been relatively low over the past year.

Recently, DailyFinance has explored several myths and rumours about how the health care reform law will effect average Americans -- some false, some true. But the latest piece of propaganda to make the rounds from the anti-Obamacare crowd is a real whopper.

Whatever your retirement dreams are, if you want to reach them, you need a plan. Otherwise, by the time you find yourself financially able to quit work, you may not be physically able to pursue your passions.

Recent government reports confirm that Social Security's finances are still falling apart, and apparently they're getting worse at an ever-faster pace. That shouldn't come as a surprise, and you need to prepare.

Ahead of AARP's planned "secret" salon on the future of Social Security, we offer two retirement experts' dramatically different proposals for solving the Social Security crisis. Chuck Saletta's view: You can't fix this with "tweaks" and small measures.

Everyone's predicting the worst for Social Security. But should the possibility of cuts a quarter-century from now really have people in a panic today? In a counterpoint to Chuck Saletta, retirement expert Dan Caplinger says there's no need for major changes.

The fees hidden in 401(k)s aren't standard, which means you could be paying more than your friends, family or coworkers. But what%u2019s scary is that most Americans don%u2019t even know money is being sucked out of their 401(k) -- and that%u2019s just the way most plan providers want it.

Planning for a happy retirement takes foresight, a lifetime of saving money and little luck. But planning for love? That might cost you. The choices for how we spend our golden years -- and how much we spend -- have a big impact on our social lives, and our chances of discovering new love.

For the first time, there's a state-by-state scorecard of America's performance in providing long-term services and support to senior citizens and people with disabilities, and the results aren't much to brag about. But they do point the way toward improving the long-term care system -- and saving the nation billions.

The reverse mortgage was invented to help seniors facing economic hardship access the equity in their homes. But these loan products are complicated, expensive and ripe for abuse, which lead a reader named Fred to ask DailyFinance's Laura Rowley for some advice. Here's what she told him:

An estimated two-thirds of baby boomer households will receive an inheritance at some point, with a median amount of $64,000, according to an AARP study. I recently received an email from a reader who has fallen deeply into debt in anticipation of her legacy -- and is now worried that her bailout may not be at hand:

AARP The Magazine examined 350 cities across the country to determine the top 10 retirement destinations for a fabulous lifestyle without outrageous costs. And they sound pretty appealing to non-retirees as well.